


A Guilty Pleasure

by Angelikah



Category: The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Alternate Universe - Human, Coffee Shops, Dirty Talk, Enemies With Benefits, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Masturbation, Porn With Plot, Semi-Public Sex, Sex Pollen, Sex Toys, blowjob
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-23 06:51:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9645137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelikah/pseuds/Angelikah
Summary: When the jerk who gave a very drunk Katherine an unfortunate tattoo moves in across the way, Caroline feels obligated to hate him. It would be a lot easier if said tattoo artist wasn't so charming. She's doing pretty well at resisting his advances until the Genetically Modified Plant Incident, and after that she's forced to ask herself: Could it really be that bad if it feels so good?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LaLainaJ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLainaJ/gifts).



> Thanks to Kelly, Laura, Colleen, Ravyn, and Melissa for various supportive roles. Laine, if you hadn't figured out who I was before you saw the summary, I'm counting it as a win.
> 
> Hope you like it <3

Caroline eyed the floral arrangement critically, trying to figure out what was off with it. She was working on a few choices for Bonnie’s wedding, and though she had a month or two before Bonnie would need to choose, she liked to start early. She was about to reach out to adjust one of the violets when the bell over the doorway tinkled, followed by the slam of the door against the frame. “You would not _believe_ who is moving in across the street.”

Caroline inwardly sighed, reaching for a clean rag to wipe her hands and turning to face Katherine, who was glaring at a small bouquet on the shelf by the register. She knew that the building across the street had been up for new ownership for the past few months, but she hadn’t seen anyone move in yet. “Who?”

“That son of a bitch.”

“Going to need to be a bit more specific, Kat.”

“That tattoo artist from New Orleans.”

“Are you sure?” Caroline asked warily, glancing back at her violets. “If I remember right, you were pretty drunk the last time you saw him, and that would be a weird coincidence.”

Katherine turned her glare towards Caroline, who glanced out the window at the shop across the street, which now had “Mikaelson Ink” on a sign above the door in pretty calligraphy. She heard Katherine unzip her purse and looked over as her friend pulled out a slip of paper and pushed it into her hand. “I knew you would say that, so I got this first. I know who I saw, and it was him.”

Caroline glanced down at the receipt to see _Artist: K. Mikaelson_ written at the top above the charge.

“I had to pay _two_ _thousand dollars_ to have that tattoo removed.”

“I know,” Caroline said, her eyes still fixed on the storefront. She could see movement behind the tinted windows but couldn’t make out any facial features.

Katherine was pacing, her arms crossed. “It’s him, okay?” she insisted. “And I know you bang down people’s doors with welcome brownies whenever they move in anywhere near you, but this guy does _not_ deserve your baking.”

Caroline snorted, turning back to her flower arrangements. “Duly noted,” she said.

“Do you know what you’re doing for Bon’s wedding yet?” Katherine asked, flipping through the sample books Caroline had just created for another one of her clients, and Caroline reached out to gently take it away.

“No. That’s what I’m trying to do now, which is why you should go plot whatever sabotage you’re planning somewhere else.”

“Sabotage? Me? I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Caroline let out a sharp breath, a stray lock of hair that had stuck to her cheek lifting off of her face. “Sure, Jan.”

Katherine rolled her eyes at the reference before taking a step towards Caroline, leaning against the counter. “Okay, but if I _were_ to hypothetically be planning this so-called ‘sabotage’--” Katherine made air quotes, “--would you hypothetically consider helping me?”

Caroline’s lips twitched. “Do you have to ask?”

“Just checking,” Katherine half-sang, grabbing her purse from the counter. “I have work...fifteen minutes ago.”

“You should probably start getting there on time.”

“Please. What’s Amara going to do, fire me?”

“Probably not,” Caroline admitted, knowing that Katherine’s older sister most likely kept her doing the books for the family’s coffee shop through a combination of family loyalty and whatever blackmail evidence Katherine undoubtedly held. “But still.”

“What, is the very idea of me being late giving you hives?”

“Yes. It really, _really_ is.”

“You should have some fun once in awhile.”

“I have lots of fun all the time, and you’re just getting more and more late.”

“ _Fine_ ,” Katherine sighed dramatically. “I can see where I’m not wanted.”

Caroline snorted and gave her a friend a half-hearted wave before turning back to the bouquet. She’d just decided that violets might not be the best choice after all and had begun to pull them out and replace them with red peonies when a low voice spoke behind her, making her flinch in surprise. “Hello there, love.”

“Hi,” she said cheerfully, turning around and swallowing when she saw the speaker. Though she mostly got a lot of bachelorette party requests and last-minute ‘shit I need a bouquet for my mediocre marriage proposal’ “emergencies” from jittery twenty-somethings, it wasn’t uncommon for her shop to get more than the occasional tourist with a hot accent. Said tourists were usually not as attractive as their accents, but this one was. “Can I help you find anything?”

She tried not to make it obvious that she was checking him out, but judging by the small smirk twisting his lips he had totally noticed, though the appreciative return glance made her feel a bit better.

“No, thank you. Just looking.”

“Well, let me know if you need any help.”

She hadn’t exactly _meant_ to add a double entendre, but he didn’t look like he was complaining judging by his unchanged smirk. “I actually do need to buy a bouquet for dinner this weekend.”

“Oh,” Caroline said slowly, wondering if she’d misread and he had a girlfriend. “Well, what did you have in mind?”

“Something with a long shelf-life preferably,” he said, following her as she went to the shelves of pre-made bouquets. “I’d like her to be able to keep them for quite awhile.”

Caroline inwardly lamented the loss of what probably could have been an excellent one-night stand as she went through some of the options. “Chrysanthemums have the longest shelf-life, but they’re kind of high maintenance. You’ll have to change out the water and cut the stems every day to keep them looking nice.”

“That won’t be a problem.”

“Great!” Caroline said cheerfully. “They’re kind of pollen-heavy, though. If she has an allergy then you might want something else.”

“No, that’s perfect,” he said. “I assume you’re the Bella in ‘Bella’s Bouquets’?”

“No, that was my grandma. It’s a family business and I took over the shop for her. I’m Caroline.”

He gave her a dimpled smile, reaching to brush his lips against her knuckles, and she fought down a flush. “Caroline, then. I’m Klaus, by the way.

Something about the way he said it made her pause, but she didn’t know how to ask, so she just pulled a few flowers out of the cooling shelf and began to carefully arrange them in the bouquet paper. “Are you visiting from England?” she asked, trying to make small talk, and she glanced at him as he shook his head.

“No, actually. I just moved here a week or so ago. My sister’s been here with her boyfriend for a year--she’s who I’m getting the flowers for--and they’re having a housewarming party for me this weekend.”

“That’s nice,” Caroline said, fighting down a small smile at the almost _hopeful_ look he shot her.

“I suppose,” he said, and she sensed that he almost _wanted_ her to press for details. She was pretty nosey anyway, so she did.

“Not excited to be living near them?” she teased.

“Well, I’m not all that fond of her boyfriend, to be honest. He’s a bit of a prick.”

“Oh,” Caroline said slowly, the realization dawning, and she narrowed her eyes. “And let me guess, the ‘prick’ boyfriend has a pollen allergy?”

“It’s possible,” he said with an unashamed dimpled grin.

“It’s possible? I feel like that’s kind of a yes or no question,” she said, unable to fight down her own smile.

“It depends, will you disapprove enough to turn down a date because of it?”

She eyed him for a second. “Well, it’s not nice to interfere with  your siblings’ relationships.”

“I’m not nice, and he’s a prick.”

“You’re really selling me on that date,” she said, her lips twitching, and he smiled back.

“I suppose I’m not presenting myself at my best. Perhaps you’d allow me to take you out to dinner to make a better second impression?”

She considered him for a second, tilting her head to the side before nodding slowly. “Okay.”

His face lit up, and she couldn’t fight down the smile at how _pleased_ with himself he looked. “Excellent. What time do you close?”

“Seven.”

“Perfect! I close a bit later, but I’m sure someone will be willing to cover.”

“Close?”

“Yes, actually. I moved here to open up the shop across the street.”

She stiffened. “The tattoo shop?”

“Yes,” he said, his tone becoming guarded at the sudden change in her demeanor.

“I’m sorry, but you have to leave,” she said, her voice clipped.

“Beg pardon?”

“You gave my friend Katherine a tramp stamp of her ex-boyfriend’s face when she was completely shitfaced. Not responsible tattoo artist behavior, and _definitely_ not the kind of person I want to date.”

He looked even more confused at that, and she briefly wondered whether Katherine had been wrong about his identity before realization seemed to dawn. “That wasn’t my fault, love--”

“Don’t call me ‘love’.”

“Caroline,” he began. “I--”

“I need you to leave.”

He looked torn for a second, seeming to consider his options before he tilted his head to the side and gave her a small smirk, giving a glimpse of a set of leather cords tucked under the collar of his henley that she felt the strange instinct to tangle between her fingers. “Fine, then. It was nice to meet you, Caroline. I suppose I’ll see you around.”

“I suppose,” she bit out, watching as he left.

It was a pity that she’d had to kick him out. She’d liked him, or at least she had for the few moments that she hadn’t known that he was the one who pulled the dick move with Katherine. Still, her loyalty was to her friends first and foremost, and she wasn’t about to go on a date with someone who had caused one of her best friends so much trouble.

For the rest of the morning she concentrated on Bonnie’s wedding options, looking up to help out a few customers when they came in. Her thoughts were constantly flipping back to Klaus, though, and she found herself unable to wipe the smug smirk and stubbled cheek from her mind’s eye.

Around lunch time she looked up to see Klaus exit his shop, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his leather jacket despite the warm California spring weather, and Caroline couldn’t help but reluctantly admire the way his jeans clung to his body and the way the light caught his dirty blonde hair. He glanced around the street before looking straight at her, and she felt her cheeks heat as she stared him down, unwilling to break eye contact.

He raised a questioning eyebrow, his lips quirking before he turned away and walked a few doors down to a coffee shop, disappearing inside. 

* * *

“Fancy seeing you here, love.”

Caroline took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she set the pen she’d been doodling with down on the table. For the last month, Klaus had been ‘coincidentally’ running into her whenever she went to get coffee on her break. She’d tried taking it at different times, but he’d inevitably walk in a few minutes after her and either try to engage her in conversation or silently lurk a table or two away. It was infuriating and totally ruined the only bit of time she had to herself all day other than lunch.

She wasn’t even sure why he was so determined to talk to her. It had taken a grand total of one conversation for him to decide that he was interested, and they hadn’t even talked that long. She’d tried to be politely distant the first two or three times he attempted to make small talk, but she had gotten to the point where she felt she could excuse being rude. From the way he behaved, she knew that he probably saw her as a challenge, and she had no interest in being what would undoubtedly be his flavor of the month.

Was she making assumptions about his relationship status based on how attractive he was? Most definitely, but she doubted she was wrong.

“Hi,” she bit out, resisting the urge to drain her coffee and leave. That would be letting him win, and she had no intention of giving him a single inch.

“How’s your day going?”

“Good until you started talking to me,” she said lightly, taking another sip of her coffee.

“Is that so?”

She would _not_ make a scene in the coffee shop. Her mother had raised her better than that.

She stared at him over the rim of her cup, her manicured fingers clicking as she let them drum against the cardboard in what she knew was a grating staccato. It didn’t seem to bother him though, and the knowing smirk at her attempts to get him to _fuck off_ were almost more infuriating than his presence in and of itself. He watched her attentively as she took another sip of her coffee.

“Do you draw?”

“What?”

“Do you draw?” he repeated, nodding to the pen by her hand.

“No. I’m just sketching some ideas for a new line of terrariums,” she said stiffly.

He hummed, looking pointedly at the pad partially hidden by her palm. Sensing that he wasn’t going to leave her alone until he had a look, she picked up the pad and held it out to him, and he took it, the brush of his warm fingers against hers making her shiver.

She watched as he looked, the tip of his finger tracing the outline of the fern, though not quite touching the paper, and she felt an odd anticipation bloom as she wondered what he thought.

“It’s pretty,” he said. “Do you design these often?”

“Yeah. They’re easy to take care of, so they’re great for brightening up offices. They’re my best-sellers other than wedding decorations.”

“You sound like you love what you do,” he said, and she nodded.

“I really do! I majored in journalism, but I always liked hanging out at the store when I was a kid. My grandma paid me under the table to work in high school, and I figured out how much I loved it. It just seemed like a natural fit to take over after my grandma died, and now I can’t imagine doing journalism, although I do keep up a blog for the store.”

He had somehow managed to make her feel at ease with just a few words, and she forgot to be annoyed with him. He continued on, charming and full of good questions, revealing details about himself along the way that seemed insignificant but gave her a glimpse into his mind that made her curious for more.

“Art major, huh? What’s your medium?” she asked a ways into the conversation, her coffee cold and forgotten in front of her.

“I paint, generally. I wanted to open a gallery, but plans change.”

“To becoming a tattoo artist, you mean?”

“After I got my first one in college I felt drawn to it, and things sort of evolved from there. I like the idea of my art leaving a permanent mark, and what better way than to leave an imprint of yourself on someone’s skin?”

His eyes skated over the skin exposed by the thin straps of her top, and she wondered what he was thinking about, whether she was imagining the hunger in his eyes. She cleared her throat, about to ask about what his favorite things to paint were, but stopped before she spoke when he checked his watch and grimaced. “Sorry, love. My lunch is over, so I’ve got to get back, but it was nice talking to you. Perhaps we should do it again sometime?”

The world seemed to readjust itself as she realized that he’d managed to bait her into a real conversation, that she’d been having _fun_ , and she bit out a short ‘no’ before picking up her purse and walking back to her store. She was somehow both utterly unsurprised and absolutely _enraged_ that he’d managed to be charming enough to make her forget why she tried so hard to hate him, and she mentally kicked herself as she approached the storefront, clutching her coffee cup hard enough to loosen the lid, causing some of the liquid to drip onto her skin.

Caroline drained the cold coffee and crumpled her cup as she closed the shop door with her hip, tossing it in the trash by the register, still seething. He was an infuriating, arrogant _jerk_ , and she definitely wasn’t going to entertain the notion of spending time with the person who gave one of her best friends a tattoo when they were drunk, no matter how attractive the jerk in question was.

She was in the middle of constructing what sort of strongly-worded speech she’d give him if she ever saw him again when she was interrupted by her _other_ best friend, who shouted her name from the back room.

“Hey, Bon!” Caroline yelled back, pushing her anger to the back of her mind as she walked through the shelves of bouquets to the back room where Bonnie stored her experiments, finding her friend bent over a large flower that resembled an orchid pigmented in a lurid shade of pink. Bonnie was a geneticist who experimented on flowers and plants to try to find natural replacements for synthetic ingredients, often resulting in oddly colored flowers with unique scents. Caroline tried to remember if Bonnie had mentioned what she was currently working on, but couldn’t come up with anything recent.

She bent over to take a sniff of the orchid, but Bonnie practically shoved her away. “Be careful! You don’t want to inhale the pollen.”

“Then why aren’t you wearing a mask?”

“Because I don’t bend over it like a tenth grader in their first chem class. Didn’t Mr. Fell teach you anything about interacting with chemicals?”

“Not the point, Bon. What’s this one for?”

“Viagra competitor, but for the hippy types who don’t want artificial chemicals in their boner.”

“So they’d rather have genetically engineered plants?”

“It’s not my job to sell the product, just to make it,” Bonnie said with a grin before gesturing to a clipboard on the side table. “I put the instructions there. Thank you so much for helping out!”

“I’m always happy to,” Caroline said, picking up the clipboard to look at it. “Should I wear a medical mask when I’m handling it?”

“Yeah, probably. I mean, it’s not _dangerous_ , but there are a few possible side effects that would be a bit uncomfortable.”

“Got it,” Caroline said, scanning the instructions before setting it back down. “When do you have to be back at work?”

“I have about half an hour.”

“Do want to take a quick look at a few ideas for your wedding pieces before you go back?”

“Sure!”

She and Bonnie chatted while they flipped through some ideas and did a few samples, and by the time her friend walked out Caroline had calmed down enough to dial it down to ‘bubbling in rage under the surface’ rather than ‘obviously seething’. Klaus Mikaelson, she decided, could take his dimpled smirks and annoyingly attractive stubble and shove it up his smirky british ass.


	2. Chapter 2

Caroline poked her head out of the back room when she heard the bell over the door, slightly surprised to see Klaus in the doorway with his jaw taut, fists clenched. She was about to ask what was wrong when he he simply walked up to her and shoved a glossy pamphlet into her hand. “What is this?”

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice muffled by the mask. She looked down at the paper, which appeared to be some sort of advertisement for a tattoo shop across town, and winced when she saw the bulleted list of reasons why no one should frequent Klaus’s shop.

_Rude and unprofessional with clients._

_Does not take adequate responsibility for the health and safety of clients._

_Bad artists._

“Your friend Katerina—” he began, breaking her from her thoughts.

“Katherine,” Caroline corrected automatically.

“ _Katherine_ ,” Klaus amended. “Is handing out slanderous propaganda outside my shop.”

Caroline handed the flyer back to him and crossed her arms over her chest, her hip jutting out. “What does that have to do with me?”

“Perhaps I was mistaken, but I was under the impression that you’d warmed up to me enough that you might be willing to call off her attacks,” Klaus said with a growl that sent an unwelcome stab of arousal straight between her thighs.

“I didn’t know that what Katherine did was my responsibility,” Caroline said coolly, turning on her heel to return to the flower she’d been tending, Klaus following just behind her.

“Can you take the mask off? I’m not quite able to make out your unsatisfactory excuses.”

Caroline huffed, tearing the mask off and flinging it to the side in frustration. “Listen, buddy. I don’t know why you think that whatever Katherine is doing is my fault, but this room has dangerous plants in it and I need you to step outside.”

“Dangerous plants? What, are the flowers going to attack?” he asked sarcastically.

“Basically, yeah,” she said, reaching for the pot cover she and Bonnie used when the pollen from specimens could be poisonous.

She knocked the flowerpot with her elbow as she picked up the cover, making the orchid-like experiment crash to the floor. She swore colorfully as it fell, inhaling a lungful of pollen by accident, and from his coughing, Klaus seemed to have too. She briefly wondered whether she should call Bonnie, but before she could reach for her phone she felt the ache that had abruptly surfaced between her thighs during the argument grow stronger. She looked up from the broken flower pot to see Klaus staring at her, his eyes dark, lips slightly parted.

“What was that?” he growled, the tone making her almost uncomfortably aware of the friction of her clothes against her now-oversensitive skin.

“I told you. Dangerous,” she said, slightly breathless.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“I...I don’t know. Some kind of pollen, I guess. My friend Bonnie is a geneticist, and--”

“I don’t care about your friend. I want to know if it’s harmful,” he bit out, his eyes darkening as they raked up and down her body, lingering on her breasts, her pebbled nipples obvious through the thin cloth of her blouse.

She licked her lips as she allowed herself a brief moment to look him up and down in return, to drink him in when he was flushed and breathing heavily. She could see the bulge of his hard cock in his jeans, his body tight as his hands curled into fists, and she felt her pussy clench at the idea of him being just as affected as her, of wanting her just as much as she wanted him.

“She said it wasn’t. Just some side effects if you breathe in the pollen.”

“The pollen is a potent aphrodisiac, I assume?”

“Yeah,” she breathed. “I guess.”

He took a step towards her, close enough that his breath was hot on her lips, the proximity making her skin prickle in anticipation. She found herself disappointed that he didn’t lean in to touch her, and her breath hitched at the way he looked at her. She felt her pussy throb at the thought of his mouth trailing over her skin, his teeth tugging at her nipple. Every bit of her longed to close the space between them, to press her body against his and relieve the intense need taking over her.

She wanted to feel his calloused palms against her skin, the scratch of his stubble against her inner thigh. She imagined his lips wet with her arousal, the way his hands would curl against her thighs to try to keep them in place as he curled his tongue against her walls. She wanted to know how his fingers would feel inside of her, whether the precision he’d use to mark ink on skin would have taught him how to scratch his nails _just so_ to make her clench around him.

The air was still, the only sound their labored breathing as they stared at each other, and she wasn’t sure who moved first, but the next thing she knew Klaus’s lips were on hers, his fingers tangled in her hair as she pressed herself as close to his body as she could get. His kisses were rough and biting and _perfect_ , his hand traveling down her spine to rest on the small of her back, burning through her blouse. She twisted his henley between her fingers, biting down on his bottom lip, and a soft groan rumbled in his throat as he ground against her thigh.

She pulled her lips from his to leave small nips and kisses against the sensitive skin of his neck, and his hands settled in the back pockets of her jeans, squeezing her ass through the fabric to angle the bulge of his cock against her covered core.

“Fuck, Caroline,” he breathed after she ran her tongue across the hollow of his neck, her hands wandering down his back. She knew that this was definitely not a good idea, that Katherine would probably kill her later -- if she found out -- but she’d been unable to get him out of her mind anyway, and it felt so _good_...

“My place is only a few blocks away,” Caroline breathed, knowing that it would be torture to have to walk even that short distance without tearing Klaus’s clothes off, and judging by the way he growled low in his throat, he agreed.

“No. Too far,” he said, pulling his shirt off, and she licked her lips at the sight of the ink on his skin.

He was a tattoo artist, and she logically knew he probably had them, but she hadn’t expected the subtlety of the feather inked across his shoulder. She let her eyes linger on it for a moment before her gaze wandered down the exposed skin, and she couldn’t help but wonder whether he was just as sensitive as she was.

“Someone could walk in,” she breathed as he backed her up against the table, the bulge in his jeans pressing against her thigh, and she wasn’t sure whether it was the pollen or her own desires saying that the idea of someone walking in could be incredibly hot.

“Let them,” he said, his fingers making small circles against the skin of her stomach under her blouse. “Take off your blouse for me, sweetheart? I want to see you.”

Her breath caught at his words, at the way his eyes followed every tiny movement of her fingers as she pulled the blouse up much too slowly, unable to resist the opportunity to tease him. He watched with greedy eyes as she let her bra straps slide down her arms, her cheeks heating as he cupped her breasts in his hands, tweaking the nipples, and she rubbed her thighs together, trying to get friction. “Klaus, I need...”

She was too breathless, almost unable to get the words out, and she let out a soft whimper of anticipation as he reached between them to unbutton her jeans, her pussy clenching at the mere brush of his fingers against her covered core. She quickly helped him shove them down, kicking them off as he shed his own, and she heard pottery break as he shoved some empty flower pots aside to lift her up onto the table. She moaned as his fingers trailed up her inner thigh to tease her entrance, and she chased the friction with her hips when he pulled away. “Seriously?” she muttered, reaching to grab his wrist and pull him back, needing the touch of his fingers against her oversensitive skin.

Instead he broke away, settling his hands on her waist, holding her gaze, his cock still hard against her inner thigh underneath his boxer briefs. The moment felt out of place, but her breath caught as he stared at her with dark eyes that she could have sworn contained more than lust for _just_ a moment.

And then his mouth was moving against hers, his tongue stroking the roof of her mouth and the backs of her teeth. She felt her thong being pushed aside before he filled her, their lips breaking apart when his forehead dropped against hers.

She nearly came from the first thrust, her high so close that she just needed a tiny push, and she reached between them to brush her fingers over her clit, tipping herself over the edge. He began to move faster as she clenched around him, trying to prolong her high as long as possible, and she’d barely come down before she felt herself building up again. She was greedy for his touch, for another release.

He groaned her name, the small table shaking slightly as they found a rhythm, and she felt herself climax again just before he came.

They were both breathing hard when the haze lifted, the aftershocks still pulsing through her hard enough to make her quiver with every small movement. “God, this was so much better than I imagined,” she mumbled, her head thrown back, realizing she’d said it out loud when he chuckled as he pressed kisses to her neck, his tongue flicking against the sensitive skin and his hands wandering her body, his touches frustratingly light. She felt her face heat with embarrassment, and he nosed her jaw before pressing a soft kiss to her flushed cheek.

“You’ve thought of this before? The way I’d touch you?”

“Don’t get too cocky,” she breathed. “My last good sexual experience was with a guy who was obsessed with wolves and kept talking about how his uncle was engaged to Lady Gaga.”

He let out a real laugh that time, his finger stroking the undercurve of her breast, making a shiver run down her spine. “And how have you thought of me, Caroline? What did you cook up in that pretty mind of yours? Did you touch yourself?”

Her skin was still prickling, the ache still present in her lower belly, and she could feel him hardening again, his cock slick with her arousal as it pressed against her. “Klaus...” she breathed, unwilling to be too open in case he teased her about it later, but she couldn’t help but moan when he tugged at her nipple, his cock brushing against her clit.

“Tell me,” he whispered, his voice coaxing, and she bit her lip before hesitantly starting to tell him, her core still throbbing insistently between her thighs.

“I imagined you fucking me in the back of the shop. Kind of like this, actually. I had fantasies...” she trailed off, swallowing when she looked at him again. His eyes had gone darker, his breathing more labored, and she grinned, liking that he was reacting like this to just the idea of her fantasizing about him. “Do you like it when I talk to you? Is that it? Do you want me to tell you how I laid in bed and fucked myself with my fingers wishing it was your cock?” she asked, a surge of smug satisfaction hitting her when he nodded, apparently completely unashamed of how much he wanted her. It made her feel powerful and sexy, _desirable_ , and she found herself hungry for more.

“Yeah.”

“I have this elaborate fantasy of you coming in during my lunch break,” she said, her voice breathless as the words spilled out of her, her need for friction clouding her head and giving her the push she needed to admit it. “I touch my clit as I imagine you backing me up against the wall and kissing my neck, leaving marks...I think about how your hands would feel on me, the way you’d touch me, the way you’d groan my name. I think about you pushing my skirt up and teasing me through my underwear, giving me just enough friction to make me wet.”

“Fuck, Caroline...”

“Then,” she continued breathlessly. “I slip two fingers inside of me and move them slowly, building myself up.”

Unable to take another second with no friction, she grabbed his wrist and pulled his fingers to her entrance, moaning when he took the hint and slipped them inside. “Like that, love?” he asked, curling them against her walls.

“Yeah,” she said, her forehead falling onto his shoulder as he began to pump them slowly. “Just like that.”

“What next?” he asked, and she could hear the strain in his voice as he fought to keep control.

“Next I imagine you unbuttoning your jeans as you fuck me with your fingers, the way you’d groan as you stroked yourself in time with your fingers in my pussy.”

She felt his hand brush against her inner thigh as he brought it down to wrap around his cock, stroking himself lazily as he watched her with heated eyes, curling his fingers inside of her as he drank in every movement she made. “And then?”

“Then I stop,” she said, wrapping her hand around his wrist to stop the movements, fighting down a grin at the brief flash of annoyance that crossed his face and placing her palm on top of the hand wrapped around his cock. “And I get my vibrator, and I pretend it’s you fucking me.”

“I can only imagine how you’d look like that,” he said quietly, the tip of his cock brushing against her clit and making her moan. “I’d love to see you tangled in your sheets with your legs spread...You’d look so lovely with your face flushed and your eyes glazed as you moan my name, the toy pulsing inside you as you roll your hips, desperate for more.”

She was so wet, so _empty_ , the pollen still making every inch of her crave him, and she could tell that he was close to losing control as well, his ragged breathing hot against her lips before he kissed her.

“Again?” she offered when he pulled away, rolling her hips, and he nodded. She let him gently push her to lie down before he pressed his hands against her thighs to part them wider, his cock sliding into her again. Her fingers curled around the table edge, pleasure overwhelming her as he began to move, her mind going blank.

Later she’d wonder when exactly the pollen had worn off, whether she could honestly say that the recovery period between rounds three and four would have been needed if they’d still been experiencing the side effects. She’d justify it, saying that it was just the effects of the pollen, but she knew deep down that by the time she’d come around his tongue that last time before sucking her arousal off his lips, the pollen had been long gone. She’d still let him take her against the wall before he’d walked her home though, both of them still breathless and wobbly-limbed.

* * *

Caroline flipped the ‘Open’ sign to ‘Closed’ and sighed as she stared across the street. Klaus’s shop was open for another few hours, usually until about ten o’clock at night, and she knew he’d be there. She’d woken up every day in tangled sheets, unbearably turned on but completely unsatisfied, and finishing herself off wasn’t as fun when all she had to go on were memories. She suspected that the pollen had lingering side effects of an increased sex drive, though it wasn’t nearly as bad as when she’d inhaled it. She’d had a one-night-stand or two in the last few weeks, but it seemed like Klaus had officially ruined her for everyone else (so far), and if she was restricted to either Klaus, sub-par sex, or her vibrator for the foreseeable future, she’d definitely go with option one.

Katherine would _totally_ kill her if she found out, but it wasn’t like Caroline _liked_ him or anything. She hated him, in fact. Completely hated him. No positive feelings whatsoever about anything but how good he was in bed, and it’s not like Katherine hadn’t had her fair share of no-strings-attached fuckfests with total assholes.

Well, not that she had a no-strings-attached relationship-fuckbuddy- _thing_ with Klaus yet. She’d been trying to screw up the courage to corner him and ask. She had a feeling he’d say yes, but there was always the risk of rejection (and then him being a smug ass about it whenever they ran into each other). She’d always been a bit insecure, and not knowing for sure whether it was him or the sex pollen wasn’t exactly helping.

Either way, she’d had a particularly unsatisfying evening the night before, and it was time to at least put herself out there. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her purse and made her way to the shop across the street.

Klaus didn’t seem to be there, though there was a tall guy with dark hair who looked up and gave her a wicked smirk. “Well hello there, darling.”

“Hi,” she said shortly. “I’m looking for Klaus.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No,” she said slowly, wondering whether she should catch him on a lunch break instead. “I have to talk to him. I’m the one who owns the flower shop across the street.”

“Ah, I see. Well, if it’s a business matter, I might be able to help you. He does get a bit testy when bothered unexpectedly.”

“Who are you?”

“Kol, the more attractive tattoo artist,” he said with a wink.

She disagreed, but decided it would be best not to say so.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just come back another time,” she said, not sure whether she was disappointed or relieved, but before she turned to leave Klaus emerged from the back of the shop, looking faintly surprised at her presence.

“Caroline?”

She froze, her heart pounding in her chest. “Hey, can I talk to you?”

“Of course. We’ll go to the back room, shall we?”

She followed him, trying not to stare at the way his jeans framed his ass, and when he closed the door to one of the private rooms she swallowed, turning to face him. “Are you still having side effects of the pollen?” she asked bluntly.

He grinned. “If you mean to ask whether I’ve had a slightly heightened libido, then yes.”

“And how’s that been going?” she asked, not quite sure when she’d wandered into ‘awkward’ territory but regretting her life choices immensely, and Klaus smirked.

“Looking to scratch the itch, sweetheart? Back for more?”

“You’re such an ass,” she snapped. “This was a terrible idea.”

“On the contrary, I’d argue that it was an excellent one,” he said, and her hand stilled as she reached for the doorknob. “You have no idea how much I want you, Caroline. I thought I’d gotten you out of my system, but if anything, I just want you more. And, if your arrival and discomfort is any indication, you feel the same.”

She turned around slowly, feeling heat build in her lower belly when she saw his expression, and she swallowed. “Are you up for it, then?”

“Of course.”

“Friendly reminder: I don’t like you.”

“I’m aware,” he said dryly.

“No feelings, no attachments,” she added, and she could have sworn she saw his face darken for a second before it cleared.

He took a step closer and she found herself with her back against the door, his palms pressing against the wall on either side of her head. They stared at each other, the crackle of energy between them so intense that she felt her breath catch.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Good,” she said, letting her hands rest on his chest as she looked up at him. “So, mine or yours?”

He swallowed, his eyes darkening. “Mine.”


	3. Chapter 3

Caroline climbed out of the car and hitched her purse over her shoulder, excitement unfurling in her lower belly as she made her way to Klaus’s apartment. She’d had a stressful day, and just knowing that she was about to be able to unwind made her heat in anticipation. 

Over the few months Klaus had managed to coax out even more of her fantasies out of her with a combination of his low voice and talented tongue, and he’d asked her the week before whether she’d bring the vibrator she’d described using during their first encounter. Klaus apparently liked to watch, and she couldn’t deny that she found the idea enticing. 

Ever since he’d brought it up it had plagued her fantasies, and she’d come around the toy in question once or twice to the vision of Klaus with dark hungry eyes and his hand wrapped around his cock, watching her bring herself over the edge. 

She licked her dry lips when she arrived at his door before knocking, grinning as she heard the lock click almost immediately. “Hey,” she said as she walked inside, throwing him an easy grin.

“Hello, love,” he said, his eyes already dark as he let his eyes flick to her purse. “How was your day?”

“Good, but I nearly had a heart attack when Kat asked if she could borrow some chapstick. Usually I let her paw through my purse all she wants, but I felt like today it might not be the best idea.”

“You had it in your purse all day?” he asked, and she wasn’t sure whether the roughness in his voice was from the idea of her having a sex toy stuffed in her purse that she was planning on demonstrating for him later or from her hands slowly undoing the side zipper of her dress.

“Yep. I didn’t want to have to run home before I came over,” she said, watching him as he peeled off his shirt, her dress pooling at her feet. He took a step towards her, clearly intending to kiss her, but she took a step back with a wicked smirk. “Hey, we agreed no touching.”

“Now, that’s not fair sweetheart,” he said, though he did back up and sit on the couch as Caroline directed, watching hungrily as she sat on the chair a few yards away, setting the vibrator on the side table and turning to face him. She unhooked her bra slowly, letting the straps slide down her arms before it fell to the floor. 

“Take off your pants,” she said, fiddling with the waistband of her thong, and she let her fingertips skate up her stomach to her breasts, cupping them and brushing against her nipples, moaning softly as they pebbled before tugging on them lightly. She watched his hands as they unbuttoned his jeans, pushing them down and palming himself through his boxer briefs, clearly trying to tease himself, to draw it out as long as possible.

Her mouth went dry when he pulled his cock out, the way his eyelids fluttered slightly when he wrapped his hand around it before he looked at her. She licked her lips, her breath catching as she rolled her nipples between her fingers, watching as he stroked himself. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he muttered, his eyes lingering on her hands. “Take your knickers off and spread your legs for me, sweetheart. I want to see how wet you are.”

She obliged, standing to slide them down her legs and kicking them off before sinking back down against the cushions. She hooked her knees over the armrests, and he groaned at the sight, his hand moving slightly faster, breathing a bit more uneven. “Touch yourself, Caroline.”

“I am,” she said with a grin, tweaking her nipples and letting out a soft moan.

“You know what I mean, love.”

She grinned and let one of her hands trail down her stomach before stroking her inner thigh, resisting the urge to squirm. “Like this?”

“Rub your clit. I want to see how you like it.”

She nearly flushed at the way the words sounded falling off his tongue, the low growl making her pussy clench. His eyes were dark, fixed on her fingers as they rubbed her clit lightly, his tongue darting over his lips. She wanted to tease herself, and he didn’t seem to mind. “Now what?” she breathed, savoring the groan that fell from his lips, his hand moving faster.

“I want to watch you fuck yourself with the toy. I want you to show me how you want it, how you like it. Better yet, I want you to tell me.”

“Tell you?” she asked, her fingers already darting down to her entrance to make sure that she was ready before she reached for the side table, turning the vibrator on and bringing it down to brush against her clit, making her legs twitch. 

“Yes. I want to hear your fantasies fall from your pretty lips.”

“I want you to press the tip of your cock against my clit like this,” she said, a blush staining her cheeks at the way the words sounded even as she dragged the tip of the vibrator down her folds, not quite pushing inside of her entrance, teasing herself. “Then I want you to tease me. I want you to give me just enough friction that I start to get desperate and my hips chase you as you pull away.”

“I love seeing you like that, with your face flushed and your eyes glazed. So lovely...”

He began to stroke himself faster, brushing the tip of his cock with the pad of his thumb, and a groan rumbled in his throat as he watched her press the toy inside of her. 

“And then I want you to fuck me until I tip over the edge. You know how much I like it when you grip my ass and take me hard and fast. I want to see your cock wet with my come.”

“Fuck, Caroline...”

They were both breathing hard now, and she knew her release was approaching, could feel herself dangling on the precipice. “Just a little more,” she breathed, lifting her hips to roll them against the toy, still fucking herself with it, and it wasn’t long before she was moaning his name as she clenched around the vibrator, riding out her high.

“You’re so beautiful when you come,” she heard Klaus mutter under his breath, his voice low, almost a growl.

Her limbs were heavy as she slumped back against the chair, her pussy achingly oversensitive. He watched as she pulled the toy out, though she could see that he was slowing down his strokes, clearly wanting to draw it out as long as possible. The way he was looking at her made her feel desired and sexy, his eyes drinking her in, and she could feel the aftershocks fading, her pussy beginning to ache with need again.

“You really like to watch, don’t you?” she asked.

“Yes,” he breathed, his thumb flicking over the tip of his cock, and she moaned as she pushed the toy inside of her again.

“Do you have a mirror?”

His eyes went slightly wide, tongue darting over his lips. “Caroline...” 

His voice was raspy, full of need, and she smirked. “Is that a yes?”

He nodded, clearly not trusting himself to speak. She pulled the toy out of her with a soft whimper before standing up on wobbly legs, and she heard Klaus standing and walking behind her to the bedroom. He sat on the bed, his hands shaking as he wound them in the blankets with the effort not to stroke himself. “It’s in the closet,” he said gruffly, and she dropped the toy on the bed before walking over, pulling the full-length mirror from its hook on the door and moving it to the end of the bed. 

“I want you to watch while I suck your cock with the toy inside of me.”

“Christ, Caroline...”

She grinned at the pure need in his voice, the strained words bitten out through gritted teeth as he tried to maintain control, and she climbed on the bed to bend over him, pulling her hair over her shoulder and bending to press a soft kiss to his pelvis, just far enough away from his cock to make him shift, needing the friction. “Caroline...”

She grabbed the toy and pushed it inside of her again, though she didn’t turn it on, not wanting to come too fast. The sensation of it deep inside of her as she bent down made her swear, her fingers digging into the mattress.

He twitched as she let out a breath on the tip of his cock, groaning low in his throat, and she bit her lip before bending down to run her tongue along his shaft, the toy hitting her in all the right places as she moved. Wrapping her hand around his shaft, she bent to wrap her lips around him, and he groaned. “Fuck, sweetheart...”

She sucked him lightly, swirling her tongue around his shaft, and he reached to tangle his fingers in her hair. She hummed as he tugged the strands, moaning as the toy moved inside of her. 

“Turn it on.”

His breath caught as she reached between her thighs to find the button at the base of the vibrator, and she moaned around him when she turned it on, her hips jerking, trying to find more friction. He seemed torn between watching her mouth as she bobbed up and down his shaft or watching the toy shift inside of her in the mirror, though eventually seemed to decide on the latter, his eyes fixed on her reflection.

“You’re so beautiful, Caroline,” he groaned, his head falling back against the headboard, and she pressed a hand to his thigh to keep his hips from jerking. “ _ Fuck _ ...”

She let out a hum around his shaft, pleased that he was losing his control, his eyes glassy, breathing hard. It felt good to be able to make his composure melt away like that, to have that kind of power over him, that he wanted her _ so much _ . It was addictive and sweet and  _ right _ , and she could tell he was close when he stiffened, a low raspy groan of her name bubbling in his throat.

She scraped her teeth lightly over his shaft, reaching between her thighs to rub her clit with one hand as the other stroked him, and he came with a string of muttered expletives, his hand tightening in her hair as he spilled inside of her mouth. 

She was so close, and she pulled away to rest her forehead on his stomach as she tipped over the edge, vaguely aware of him stroking her hair and telling her how beautiful she was and how much he enjoyed watching her fall apart for him.

She was breathing raggedly when she pulled the toy out and let it drop off the bed, the aftershocks still pulsing through her body, and she crawled up to rest her head against the pillow.

“That was so good,” she breathed, slumping against him and burying her face in his neck. 

“I concur,” Klaus murmured, looping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him, crushing her against his chest. There was something unnervingly intimate about the movement, the tangling of their legs, the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed against her shoulder... She relaxed against him, enjoying the feel of his strong arms around her, the way they just seemed to  _ fit _ . 

Her inner thighs were sticky and slick with her release, her entire body still quivering, and when he slid his hand up to cup her ass she arched her back, her eyes closing, a whimper escaping the back of her throat as he pinched the flesh, sending another jolt of arousal straight between her thighs. He continued to tease her with lighter touches, the brush of his thumb against the dip at the top of her thigh, making goosebumps prickle on her skin.

She loved how he knew exactly how to touch her to build her up, the sensation of his lips curling in satisfaction on her skin when she squirmed against him. He knew her body so well, had really paid attention to every movement and sound she made. She arched her back as his palm settled on her hip, his thumb lazily stroking her hipbone before he let his palm settle on her stomach and relaxed against her.  She found herself dozing off in his arms, his grip warm and sure, and the realization that she wouldn’t  _ mind  _ waking up like this made her stiffen, her eyes flying open.

She wanted him, she realized. Not just the sex, but  _ him _ . She wanted dates and cuddling and dumb arguments about art and shared showers and watching him shave and confused Netflix suggestions and  _ everything  _ and it was  _ scary _ . She’d never been all that great at the whole ‘no strings attached’ thing. She tended to get too invested, but Klaus had been such a  _ dick  _ that she thought she’d be safe, that her heart would stay out of it for once.

Unfortunately, Klaus had turned out to not be as much of a dick as she’d thought, and it was incredibly inconvenient.

He shifted behind her, humming contentedly, and she found herself wondering whether he wanted her too. They’d promised each other no feelings, no attachments, and he hadn’t had a problem with it, or at least he hadn’t said anything if he did. She had an unwelcome vision of working up the nerve to tell him her feelings and having him tell her that she’d been a pastime and he just didn’t do  _ relationships _ , and her heart tightened in her chest. It was best to nip this whole thing in the bud, she decided. No Klaus, no feelings, no heartbreak. 

As she thought about it he shifted behind her, pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder in such a familiar gesture that she felt a surge of anticipatory regret, knowing that she was about to cut off something that she hadn’t realized that she wanted  _ so badly _ .

She refused to be one of those girls who got attached and waited around for a guy to decide she was worth it, though. She’d been there before and she wasn’t going back. She couldn’t get hurt again.

“I should head home,” she muttered, shifting to move out of bed, but he made a soft sound of annoyance, pulling her more firmly against his chest, and she had to resist the urge to melt into him.

“Caroline,” he whispered coaxingly, pressing another kiss to her neck, a flick of tongue making her shiver. 

“It’s late,” she muttered, and he nosed her jaw.

“Not done with you yet, sweetheart,” he said, his finger tracing her inner thigh, and she let out a breathless moan before centering herself. 

“It’s late and I open at seven.”

“Hasn’t stopped you before.”

“I know,” she said uncomfortably. 

He let out a sharp breath, and she swallowed, wondering for a brief moment if he was about to make a confession, as though he might have read her mind and realized what was about to happen. 

“Would you like a ride home, then? As you said, it’s quite late.”

Her heart sunk to her stomach, and she wriggled out of his arms. He grunted in annoyance, pulling himself to sit up, watching her gather her clothes. “It’ll be fine. I’ll just take an Uber.”

“At two in the morning? Sweetheart, I don’t think--”

“It’ll be fine. Why are you so worried?”

The words spilled out of her before she could censor them, and he seemed a bit surprised by her question. “I should think it’d be obvious,” he said dryly. “Let me drive you home.”

“I’ll be fine,” she repeated shortly, and he frowned. 

“What’s got your knickers in a bunch?”

“You,” she muttered. “Figuratively and literally.”

“Is there a problem, love?” he asked, his voice mild, though she could sense the irritation underneath.

“I don’t think we should do this anymore,” she said bluntly. “It was fun, but I think I’m ready to move on.”

“Move on?” he asked, his eyes flashing 

“Yeah. I mean, it’s not like this meant anything,” she said, gesturing between them, and Klaus snorted.

“Caroline sweetheart, we both know that you’re lying through your teeth right now.”

“At the beginning we agreed on no feelings or attachments, and I want to unattach.”

“Fine,” he said his voice flat and cold, eyes glittering with anger. “I’m sure you can see yourself out then.”

She couldn’t help but feel irrationally rejected that he hadn’t even asked her why or whether they could somehow make it work, but the now-bored expression on his face made it clear that he wasn’t too upset about it. 

“Fine,” she said stiffly.

They stared at each other, the energy crackling between them, before she pulled on her sweater and grabbed her purse, turning to leave. She felt Klaus follow her to the front room and heard the lock click as soon as she slammed the door behind her, followed by what sounded like glass breaking. 

She adjusted her purse on her shoulder, taking a deep breath and looking at the dark street, the cold air making her shiver. She pulled out her phone to order a ride, and a few minutes later she smiled at the Uber driver and couldn’t stop from glancing back at Klaus’ apartment. She could have sworn that the curtains rustled, as though he had been looking back at her through the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

 “Double non-fat latte for Caroline,” Jeremy called, and Caroline went to the counter, excited to be caffeinated. God knows she needed it after this week.

“Thanks, Jer.”

He gave her an easy smile as he handed her the cup. “No problem. I hope you don’t mind me asking, but are you okay? You look...”

“Tired?” she finished wryly. “Don’t you know you’re never supposed to say that to someone?”

“I was going to say ‘upset’, but that too,” Jeremy said, looking completely unashamed. “Do you want a mocha instead? On me? Well, on Amara, but it’s not like I’ll get in trouble.”

Caroline was tempted for a second but decided it was better not to eat her feelings. “No, it’s fine. Thanks, though!”

He gave her a small smile as Matt handed him another drink, and he glanced at it before saying, “Double-shot espresso with room for cream for Klaus.”

Caroline froze as Klaus brushed by her, taking the cup from Jeremy with the barest of nods and determinedly not looking at her. She felt her heart drop to her stomach at the lack of acknowledgment. For some reason she’d prepped herself for hostility, maybe a few hurtful comments, but the blatant coldness hurt even more than anything he could say ever would.

She wasn’t sure why she’d expected anything anyway. If she knew Klaus at all, and she liked to think she did despite the short length of their whirlwind non-romance, there was no way he would acknowledge her presence unless forced to. She’d definitely taken him by surprise, had delivered a blow to his ego. It just hadn’t hit her until he’d ignored her so pointedly how much she’d miss him.

She knew it was stupid to want to talk to him, especially since she’d been the one to leave, but she found herself walking up next to him anyway as he set the pitcher of half-and-half back down on the counter. “Hi,” she said, picking up a coffee cup sleeve and sliding her cup in.

He grunted in acknowledgement and she inwardly sighed.

“How are you?”

“Fine,” he said shortly, bringing his cup to his lips and taking a sip.

“That’s nice,” she said lamely, and she could have sworn his lips twitched, though the flash of a smile was more frustrated than genuine. Not knowing how else to keep herself there, she reached for a sugar packet, emptying it into her cup. “How’s...how’s the shop doing?”

“Just as well as it was three days ago when we last spoke.”

He was stirring his coffee slowly with the stirring stick, and she watched the rhythmic movement. “Well, that’s--”

“Why are you talking to me, Caroline?”

“What do you mean? I’m just making conversation,” she said defensively.

“Well, making meaningless small talk is quite the way of rubbing salt in the wound.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You left and you made it perfectly clear that not only was I not to expect you back, but you had no interest in me whatsoever. There’s no reason for us to speak.”

He looked angry, which she’d expected, but she wasn’t sure why the genuine hurt behind his irritated gaze surprised her so much. “That’s not fair,” she said quietly, unsure whether she was talking about his accusations or how it had just hit her that he _might_ have genuine feelings for her after all.

“I was an innocent bystander adding creamer to my coffee, love. You were the one who insisted on interaction.”

“I was just making my coffee too.”

“You don’t take sugar,” he pointed out before putting the cap on his cup and taking a sip. “I’d love to stay and chat, but as I’ve said, you’ve made it quite clear that you aren’t interested, and I’m not in the habit of harassing women in the hopes they’ll cave.”

“That didn’t stop you before,” she muttered, and he gave her a grim smile.

“At the risk of sounding like a right prick, you were quite interested then. If you hadn’t been, I would have left you alone.”

“What? I wasn’t--you--” she spluttered, and he walked away, not bothering with a goodbye.

The pang of loss hit her harder, and she tried to fight down the tears that seemed ridiculous and over-dramatic, but no less genuine.

She’d fucked up and she knew it.

But Katherine... she couldn’t betray her friend like that, no matter how much her feelings for Klaus had grown (and how sure she now was that he reciprocated them). She tried to reassure herself that there were plenty more fish in the sea as she walked back, but caught sight of Klaus through the window of his shop talking to a pretty brunette.

She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he was clearly turning on the charm. The only solace she took was that his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

She wondered how long it would take until it did.

* * *

“You look upset.”

Caroline shrugged as she twirled her spaghetti around her fork. “I’m fine.”

“Code for ‘everything blows and I hate the world’ I see,” Katherine said dryly, taking a gulp of wine. “Well, I have good news at least.”

“What?”

“Tattoo artist douchebag has a black eye. I saw him earlier. It was incredibly satisfying.”

“Oh my god, what happened?” Caroline asked, knowing that she probably sounded too concerned, and Katherine seemed to agree, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t know, but I saw his brother storm off. Something about an ex I think.”

“Brother?” Caroline asked, frowning. She remembered Klaus mentioning a sister, but no other siblings.

“Yeah. The other tattoo artist. Blonde? Curly hair?”

Caroline put her fork down, an odd combination of horror, dread, and anger welling inside of her. “Kat, what’s the guy’s name? The one who gave you the tattoo?”

“Kol,” Katherine said, frowning. “Why?”

“Seriously?”

“Yes...?”

“Oh my god,” Caroline muttered, pushing her chair back and grabbing her jacket, her thoughts racing as she left, ignoring Katherine’s calls for her to come back. She called an Uber to Klaus’s place, trying to figure out how she’d explain the case of mistaken identity combined with her sudden dramatic exit.

The car arrived at his house much too early for her tastes, and she put her phone on silent to avoid Katherine’s texts as she climbed the steps to the door, knocking on it a few times. She only had to wait a few seconds before Klaus opened it, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw her before his face went almost carefully blank. “Caroline.”

“Hey,” she said awkwardly. “I have to talk to you.”

“About?”

His body was positioned to fill the doorway, and she had the distinct feeling that he wasn’t about to let her into the house unless she gave him a very good reason.

“I’m sorry.”

He gave her a distinctly unimpressed look, and she tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear as she tried to figure out how to be more articulate. “I thought you were the one who gave Katherine the tattoo.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“And like, I felt super guilty because Katherine’s one of my best friends, and like I was betraying her by sleeping with you. But you know I just sort of told myself that it was just sex, so it didn’t mean anything, but then I started liking you and that was scary because I didn’t _want_ to like you. No offense. So I left, but then Kat and I went to dinner today and she told me that it was Kol who gave her the tattoo, so now I know that this was like, a huge mistake. Leaving, I mean.”

“I see,” he said, his voice too neutral for her to detect any hint of what he might be thinking.

“Yeah.”

They were both quiet for a few seconds, Klaus staring at her with calculating eyes as she shifted from foot to foot before he moved aside to let her in. She walked past him into his living room, twisting her hands nervously as he shut and locked the door behind them and gestured for her to sit on the couch. She bit her lip before sinking down against the cushions, and he remained standing with his hands clasped behind his back, still just looking at her unsettlingly.

“So,” she started after what must have been a full minute, unable to take the silence, but Klaus interrupted.

“You left because you felt guilty for liking me.”

It wasn’t a question, but she answered anyway. “Yeah. Basically.”

“Do you still feel guilty?”

“For liking you? No, I’m more mad at Kat for not being more specific about which tattoo artist was the culprit. Now that I know, I might punch your brother in the face if I ever meet him, but --I want to be with you.”

He snorted, his stance relaxing. “You’re welcome to punch Kol as much as you’d like. He’s quite the nuisance.”

“I think you might be biased,” Caroline said, and he grimaced.

“You heard, I take it?”

“Well, Katherine did, revealing the whole ‘case of mistaken identity’ thing in the process. She said there was some yelling about an ex as well...” she trailed off with a quick nervous glance, not sure whether to press on the whole ‘liking her’ thing, but he seemed to sense her train of thought.

“Am I correct in assuming that you’d like to wait to tell your friends?” he asked, his voice carefully light, and she grimaced, though she felt warmth bloom in her chest at the implications.

“No. I think they’ve controlled my relationship status with you for long enough,” she said, trying not to sound too grumpy.

“I didn’t mind your friend Bonnie’s contribution,” Klaus said with a grin, and Caroline rolled her eyes.

“I’ll bet you didn’t.”

“You didn’t seem too opposed either,” he reminded her, and she nodded, flushing a bit as she leaned back against the couch cushions. He moved to sit beside her, and she couldn’t fight down a grin when he casually tangled his fingers through hers. She leaned against him, her head on his shoulder as he brushed his thumb against her knuckles in small circles. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few seconds before she spoke again.

“Why didn’t you tell me Kol gave Katherine the tattoo?”

“The first time I tried I couldn’t get a word in edgewise, and after that I thought you’d assume that I got him to take the fall for my alleged crime.”

“You could have told me. I _at least_ would have checked with Kat, even if I didn’t buy it because of the receipt.”

“Receipt?”

“It said ‘K. Mikaelson’ was the artist.”

“Well, that’s even more easily solved. My full name is Niklaus.”

“Oh,” she said slowly, cataloguing that information for later. “Good to know.”

He snorted. “Well, in this situation I suppose it is. Still, I have no doubt that you would have attempted to get my brother’s licence revoked, and I needed him at the shop,” he said, hesitating for a moment before continuing, his body tensing as though he was uncomfortable with what he was about to reveal. “Kol hasn’t exactly had the easiest time, and he truly loves what we do. It was a mistake, and we had a talk about it when I found out what he’d done. I’m not keen on him getting in trouble for something he truly regrets.”

She decided not to press, since she suspected it was Kol’s story to tell, but still felt a bit angry on principle. “Okay, but maybe pay Kat back for the removal?”

“I’ll discuss it with him.”

“Okay.”

“In any case, things seemed to be going well between us after a few chats, so I decided to wait until you were more invested in the hopes that you’d let it slide when you eventually found out.”

“That’s manipulative,” she muttered, trying to fight down the stab of hurt that he might be overplaying his interest in an attempt to help his brother.

“It is, but I couldn’t lose you,” he said simply, and she flushed.

“No use crying over spilled milk, I guess,” she said, giving him a glance out of the corner of her eye, and he squeezed her hand. She shifted, getting more comfortable, enjoying the feel of his body against hers. “So, about telling my friends...” she said hesitantly.

“Hmm?”

“My friend Bonnie, the one who made the sex flower, is getting married.”

“All right.”

“Do you want to come with me? To the wedding? I’m sure she won’t hate me _that_ much if I add a plus-one, especially since I'm giving her a huge discount on flowers...” she said, and when he hesitated for a moment, she pressed on, knowing she was rambling but growing anxious that he might say no. “Like, obviously I’d probably want to tell everyone first, because if Katherine makes a scene at Bonnie’s wedding that’s not going to be good for anyone, but I would really, _really_ like it if you came with me.”

“Of course, love.”

“Yeah?” she asked, not knowing why she was surprised, a bright smile taking over her face.

He nodded, his lips twitching into a smile. “Yeah.”


End file.
